Dylan Donahue to Join Billings Outlaws

At the time, the highlight of the contest occurred at the 3:58 mark of the first quarter. That’s when the public address announcer stated that former star player Dylan Donahue would be signing with the Outlaws and playing in week one of the Arena Football League season.

It turned out that it wasn’t going to happen as coach Cedric Walker told The Billings Gazette and 406 MT Sports before the team’s first official contest that the two sides didn’t come to an agreement.

“We have been talking, but right now it’s best for both parties to continue the conversation and we’ll cross that bridge later,” said Walker at the time.

It turns out crossing the bridge later occurred this week for Donahue and the Outlaws.

The former Outlaws standout and 2011 Billings West graduate has signed with the Outlaws. Donahue, who was selected by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft and played four games for New York that season, is happy to be back.

“I signed the contract, so it’s not like earlier this season,” said Donahue, saying he would be playing in the Outlaws (7-1) Arena Football League semifinal against the Nashville Kats (4-4) on Saturday at 8 p.m. at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark.

Walker confirmed in an interview with The Gazette and 406 MT Sports that Donahue, the Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 at West Georgia, would be playing Saturday.

“He’ll be part of the defensive rotation,” said Walker. “We’ll let him get after it and he’ll let us know how his body feels. We have to get after the quarterback and he helps us big time.”

Donahue explained that obligations to his business, Premier Asphalt Systems in Billings, were why he didn’t originally sign with the Outlaws after it was announced during the game vs. the Sharks that he would pending he passed a physical.

Donahue is excited to help the Outlaws as they aim for a semifinal win. A victory over the Kats would clinch a berth in the ArenaBowl on Friday, July 19, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“I’ve gotten things down with my business now so I can run my crews without me being there,” Donahue said. “They have my back while I’m doing this for a couple of weeks.”

Outlaws owner Steven Titus is happy to have one of the franchise’s most popular players back with the club.

“Dylan joining the team makes one of the league’s strongest defenses even stronger,” said Titus.

Donahue said that he was lured back to the Outlaws via a call from Walker.